Closure fastener for suction cleaning apparatus



Feb. 10, 1948.

' C. H. TAYLOR CLOSURE FSTENER FOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June l2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l R. w m RY Y O E mn Wm ,WH l5 E H. A L imm H CV WITNESSES:

Feb. 10, 1948. c H. TAYLoR CLOSURE -FS'IENER FOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June l2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2y xNvENToR CHARLES HIAYLQR.

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ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 10, 1948 CLOSURE FASTENER FOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Charles H. Taylor, Springfield, Mass.,

Westinghouse Electric burgh, Pa., a corporat Corporation, ion of Pennsylvania assgnor to East Pitts- Application June 12, 1944, Serial No. 539,831

My invention relates to a latch of the type adapted detachably to connect or couple two separte parts, such, for example, as the body portion and the end bell of a tank type suction cleaner, or the like.

One object of my invention is to produce an improved latch of the type set forth.

In a tank type cleaner it is necessary to open, or completely to detach atleast one end bell 'whenever it is necessary to empty the dust or lter bag oi such cleaner.

It is, therefore, a further object of my invention to produce an improved latch whereby the end bell of a'tank type `suction cleaner may be easily coupled to, or uncoupled from, the body portion ofthe cleaner. Y

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a tank type suction cleaner embodying my invention ;V

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section, taken on line II-II of Fig. l, showing the latch in disengaging position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the latch in engaged position;

Fig. 4 is a section on line lV--lV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on line V-V of Fig. 3;and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken in the plane of line Il-II of Fig. l, showing the manner in which the bottom portion of the end bell is detachably hinged to the adjacent end of the body portion of the cleaner.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. l, I0 designates a tank type cleaner provided with a lifting handle I2 and supported on conventional runners, not shown. The cleaner includes a cylindrical body portion I4 lwhich 4 Claims. (Cl. 22o-55) houses the usual motor fan unit, not shown, and

a dust or filter bag I6. The opposite ends ofthe cleaner body are closed by endbells I8 and r20.

As shown, the end bell I8 is at the intake end of the cleaner and is provided with a coupling 22 adapted to receive and engage one end of a flexible hose 24 through which dirt-laden air is drawn through and into the bag I6. The other end of the hose 24 is provided with a suitable nozzle or dusting tool (not shown).. The end bell 20 ispositioned at the discharge end of the cleaner and is provided with an opening 26 through which air filtered through the bag I6 is discharged. Y

The end bell I8 includes a finished end portion 30 and an inner portion 32 having an annular flange 36. The ilange 36 is adapted to abut against an annular gasket 33, which in turn abuts against an inturned flange 4D carried by the adjacent end of the body portion I4. The portions 30 and 32 of the end bell I8 are permanently and rigidly secured together, as at 42, but, if desired, they may be made of one piece. Embedded in the gasket 38 is an annular L-shaped member 44 to which the open end of the dust bag IB is secured in any suitable manner, as by rings or wires 46, as best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6.

In order to present a neat and attractive appearance, an outside or finished cover 48 is suitably secured at its outer end to the end bell portion 30, as at 50. Except as hereinafter eX- plained, the inner end or the cover 48 overlaps, and has a close sliding fit with, the adjacent end of the body portion I4 of the cleaner, as at 52. The end bell I8, being at the intake end of the cleaner, must be removed or swung open, whenever it becomes necessary to empty the dust bag I6. To this end, the end bell I8 is hinged or hooked to the body of the cleaner and is secured in position by the latch embodying my invention. The end bell I8 may be hinged to the cleaner in any approved manner. For example, and as shown in Fig. 6, a U- or cup-shaped bracket 54, provided with an upturned lip 56, is secured to the body portion I4 of the cleaner. The lip portion is adapted to engage a corresponding pendant portion which is pressed out of, or carried by the adjacent portion of the outer cover 48.

Except for the improved latch to be hereinafter described, and except for the manner ln which the structure of the end bell I8 is modi-V ed in order to cooperate with the latch, the structure thus far described may be of any approved conventional design.

Y `In order to accommodate the latch assembly, the top wall of the iinished cover 48 is provided with an opening 64 and the top wall of the inner portion 32 of the end bell I8 is depressed to form a pocket or recess 66 registering with the opening 64. Also, adjacent the inner end of the opening 64, a portion of the cover 46 is drawn upwardly so as to form an inverted U-shaped housing including a top wall 63 and side walls 10 which merge with the cover 48, as at 12. See Fig. 5.

The latch assembly includes an inverted `*U- shaped bracket formed of a top wall I4 and side walls 16. rlhe top wall 14 is secured to the top wall 68 of the U-shaped housing by rivets or the like 18. Projecting inwardly from the side walls 16 are a pair of arms or lugs 80 which will be hereinafter further referred to.

The latch assembly further includes an operating handle of an inverted U-shaped structure which includes a top wall 82 and side Walls 84.

The handle` is suitably curved soas to present an attractive streamlined appearance. Thehand'le is pivoted to pendant extensions 8B of the side walls 'I6 of the bracket, as at 88. The other endA of the handle is provided with apendant wall 90. The latch assembly still further includes a latch member formed of spaced parallel arms 92, which are pivoted to the handle-by means vi? a pin 94 passing through the arms. ing the side walls 84 of the handle. are maintained in proper spaced relation by any suitable means such as a cross arm 96 secured to, or formed integral with the latch member. The opposite ends of the arms 92 are provided with a cross piece 98 which is adapted; to engage a pin or stopy |00, carried by the adjacent end of the body portion I4 of thecleaner, as shown inv Fig. 3.

y In order to maintain the latch member and handle in engaging or non-engaging position, an over-center spring |02 is connected to a lug |04 at the pivoted end of the latch member and to a lug |06 forming part of or carried by the top wall 88 of the supporting bracket. In order to protect the free end' of the latch member when the end bell is disconnected from the cleaner, the side walls 16 of the supporting bracket are provided with extensions: |08.

Operation When the handle is rotated clockwise into the position shown in Fig. 2, the pivot 94 of the latch member moves from the position shown in Fig. 3 to a position below and slightly to the left of the pivot 88 of the handle. This causes the latch member to tilt into the position shown in Fig. 2, in which the cross piece 98 of the latch member is out of engagement vwith the pin |00; The endj bell I8 may now be removed from the cleaner.

When the handle is rotated counterclockwise into the position shown in Fig. 3, the pivot point of the latch member moves from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3; and the latch member tilts tothe position shown in Fig. 3, in which the crossy member-98v of the latch member engages the pin |00. The overcenter spring |02 serves to retain the handle and the latch member in either of the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that, in its engaging position, the arched top edge ||0 of the latch member abuts against the top wall 14 of the supporting bracket as a fulcrum. This causes the cross piece 98 tightly to engage the pin |00. j

When it is desired to connect the end bellgl to the cleaner, the handle. is rotated in clockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the end bell is moved towards the cleaner bodyat an angle to the longitudinal axis thereof. The pendant portion 60 is then inserted into the U shaped bracket v54 and the end bell is brought into concentric relation with respect to the body of the cleaner. The engagement of the portion 60 with the lip portion 5,6 forces the end bell into sufllciently tight but detachable engagement -with the adjacent end of the cleaner. When the end bell has been moved to a position in which the flange 36 abuts against thev gasket 38, the handle is; rotated in counterclockwise direction, or from pivoted end of lthe While I have illustrated the application of my invention to a suction cleaner, it is to be understood that my invention is equally applicable for lclamping other closure members to other containers.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modications without departing fromthe spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereuponas. are specifically .set forth in the appended claims..

What I claim is:

1. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing adapted to contain air moving means and air filtering means and having a rim 'dening an end opening, acap for closing said opening, said cap including inner and outer members adapted to engage said rim, a portion of said outer member adjacent said rim being drawn to forma housing extending outwardly of the wall of said casing. there being an opening in said outer member in alignment With, and longitudinally spaced from, said housing, the portion of said inner member registering with said opening being depressed to form 'a recess', a supporting bracket carried by, and disposed within, said housing and having'an end thereof extending through said opening into said recess, an operating handle having one end thereof pivoted to said end of said bracket, a stop carried by said casing adjacent said rim, and' a latch member disposed in said housing and having 'one' end thereof pivoted to the pivoted end ofl saidhandle and the other end thereof adapted to engage said stop, the pivoted ends of said handle and said latch member beingV movable in said recess, said handle and said latch mem.` ber being so related that, iny one position of said f handle', said latch member engages said stop, and,

in another position of said handle, said latch member is out of engagement with said stop.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 together with an overcenter spring connected to the piv oted end of said latch member and to said bracket for yieldably retaining said latch member and said handle in either of said positions.` v

v3. The structure recited in claim 1 in which said latch member, said bracket, said housing and said handle are all of U-shape in cross section and in `which, when said latch member engages saidstop, said l.handle overlies and encloses s aid housing, said bracket and said latch member.

1 fl'.` The combination with a container ,havingI a rim dening an opening and a closure member` having a portion adapted to engage said rim for closing said opening, of means for detachably securing said closure member, in closing position, to said container, said means including a housing carried by the rim-engaging portion of said closure member, a supporting bracket disposed within, and carried by, said housing, an operateing handle having one end thereof pivoted to said bracket and movable to a rst position in which 5 it overlies said housing and said bracket, and to a second position remote from said bracket, a

4stop carried by said container, and a latch member pivoted to, and movable with, said handle, said latch member being disposed within said housing and being adapted to engage said stop in a, rst position of said handle and to be disengaged from said stop by movement of said handle to said second position, saidy latch member, said bracket, said housing and said handle being of U-shape in cross section and said handle enclosing said housing, said bracket, and said latch member when said latch is in engagement with said stop.

CHARLES H. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Name Date 961,780 Lauzon June 21, 1910 1,829,447 Hynes Oct. 27, 1931 10 2,241,785 Lofgren May 13, 1941 2,347,919 Lofgren May 2, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 337,649 Great Britain Nov. 6, 1930 

